About the Book

Book: The Lost and Found

Author: Jennifer Carr

Genre: Christian Suspense

Release Date: June 1, 2023

In the small quiet town of Owenston, Kentucky, former FBI agent Mark Collins has found a new purpose as the county Sheriff. Married and enjoying the prospect of becoming a father for a second time, Mark’s life seems picture-perfect. But when a series of petty thefts turns into a murder investigation, Mark’s peaceful life takes an unexpected turn.

With his steadfast resolve and unwavering faith, Mark embarks on a race against time to catch a killer, but as he digs deeper, he realizes that the case is more complex than he ever imagined, and danger hits closer to home than he could have anticipated.

The Lost and Found is a Christian suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, blending thrilling intrigue with heartwarming moments. Mark’s unwavering commitment to justice, his ever-expanding family, and his unwavering faith in God make for a gripping tale of redemption, hope, and love. Can Mark untangle the web of secrets and find a way to heal the wounds of the past? Discover the truth in this captivating story of courage, compassion, and the power of love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

A wife, mom, author, marriage and family counselor, a former AP Psychology teacher, and a podcaster, Jennifer draws from her life experiences and imagination to connect with her readers and listeners through the written and spoken word.
Married to her childhood best friend and the mom of a creative daughter, Jennifer enjoys a quiet life on their farm in Alabama.
When she’s not wearing one of her many hats, you’ll find her tucked away with a book and what’s likely her third coffee of the day.

More from Jennifer

The Lost and Found is the second book of the No Matter What series but can be read as a standalone. I needed to make sure my characters were happy and healthy after their adventures in the book one so the day I sent No Matter What to my editor, I started writing The Lost and Found.

I love to bake and when I was pregnant with our daughter, I craved all things sweet. One of the characters in the book has a similar craving so I created a recipe for her to enjoy. I’d love to share it with you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZUJhegaRSkQtwlG1Rk0UU-iYxTSJIPHg/view?usp=sharing

Interview with Jennifer

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I have always loved writing. I was scribbling really bad poetry on paper as early as fourth grade. I actually stumbled across some of it when we cleaned out our attic a few years ago and it was embarrassing and hilarious to say the least. And no, it will never see the light of day again! HA! HA!
But, writing has always been a natural way for me to process my thoughts and emotions. I entered and won multiple writing and oratorical contests all throughout middle and high school. I did not, however, know that I could write a book and love doing it until 2021. And now, I can’t stop!

How long does it take you to write a book?

In my imagination or on paper? HA! I can see a book from beginning to end the day I dream it up. However, the initial writing process takes anywhere from 6 – 9 months before I even start to edit anything. From writing to publishing my first book took right at a year.

What is your real-life work schedule like when writing? 

Ah, real-life… Yes, I do have one of those! Fortunately, for me, real-life and writing are very closely tied together. I host a podcast for creatives, co-host a second podcast for authors, and write full-time. I do have a 14-year-old daughter and she is homeschooled, but her work is pretty much Independent Study so I’m rarely needed anymore for that.

Outside of work I teach 2^nd – 4^th grade kids at church on Wednesday nights and 9^th-12^th grade girls on Sunday mornings so I make sure to get that work done in the midst of the everything else!

What are your favorite books to read?

I love Romance and I love Rom-Com. I read Carina Taylor’s Play Me Once recently and found myself actually chuckling aloud which is hard to come by these days even with the “Com” added to the genre.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I was one month shy of 39 when my first book published. If you want to do it, make the time to do it. There’s not another feeling like it and your age shouldn’t stop you!

How do you create your main characters? 

It depends! For The Lost and Found, most of the characters existed from the first book in the series (don’t worry, it can be read without having read No Matter What!).

I love psychology, I am a psychologist by trade in my previous career, and I adore shows like The Mentalist, Psych, Lie to Me, and CSI. Initially, the concept for the characters started in a dream I had. And the more I wrote their story, the more the characters developed.

But in the newest series I’m working on, I heard an old country song that sparked an idea for a story of these two characters and the next thing I knew I was pouring their love story onto the page.

It never gets old creating characters. It’s honestly my favorite part of the process.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

Marketing it. I chose to go the self-published route because I knew it was what fit my personality, my schedule, and my tendencies best.  That being said, it also puts me at the helm for ALL of the work pre- and post- publishing. Which is where amazing blogs like this one come into play! (Thank you for supporting authors!)

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read. I will have at least 3 books in rotation – paper, electronic, and audio – at any given time. And they’ll all be completely different genres.

What does your family think of your writing?

What’s funny is that the day I told my husband that I was pretty sure I was going to write a book, I had already made it the equivalent of four chapters into the story. His response was, “Oh, cool. I can’t wait to read it.” And it’s been like that from the beginning. He’s my first draft reader, he’s my first beta reader, and he’s my biggest cheerleader.

My kid thinks it’s “cool”… that’s a 14-year-old for you!

Do you base your characters on real people?

Sometimes!

For instance, I was sitting down having a conversation with the son of my husband’s cousin. The son is 18 and has Autism. It has been a wild and wonderful and sometimes tragic experience watching him grow up but sitting down with him that day and hearing him talk about the things he’s passionate about and the goals he has for his life, I immediately went home that afternoon and wrote a character profile based on him. I cannot wait to get to his story because it’s going to be amazing.

There’s another story percolating in my Notes app about a math nerd and a word girl… I might have some up-close and personal DAILY inspiration for those two.

Have you experienced writer’s block, and how do you handle it?

Honestly, I put my work down and walk away. When I was writing The Lost and Found I had written the beginning and I had written the end. I got completely bogged down by what we like to call “the murky middle”. I could NOT figure out how to connect the two finished pieces.

I decided to focus on getting No Matter What published and then Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled around. I sat down two days after New Year’s Day and within two weeks I had a finished first draft to send to my beta readers.

Forcing creativity is an injustice to the work sometimes. I’d rather put it down and walk away than produce less quality work!

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That writing a book isn’t “just for the famous authors.” Is it easy? Parts of it are easy. Is it hard? Some of it is hard. Is it worth it? Every single part is worth it. I love stories and I love getting lost in them. To be able to produce them and share them with others so we can get lost in the same stories together is almost magical.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

What a loaded question! HAHA!

I have written 4 full books (3 are currently published). I have four partial manuscripts vying for my attention (one is the sequel to The Lost and Found!)

Which one is my favorite…?! If I HAVE to choose one, Fall When You’re Ready (clean contemporary romance) would be my choice. Rachel and Jordan are two of my favorite characters, the setting is based on the small town I grew up in, and it’s a best-friends to lovers trope which is my favorite because it’s reminiscent of my personal love story.

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

My website, jcarrwrites.com, has links to all of my books, my works in progress, and the bonus materials like deleted scenes and bonus epilogues.

If you want to get to know me, I have a Facebook page and a TikTok channel that I utilize most frequently and I LOVE interacting with readers and other authors. @jcarrwrites (for both)

Any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

I am currently writing a series called Real American Country. It starts with Jordan and Rachel’s story in Fall When You’re Ready that released February 1.

The next book, Wildfire, will probably come out later in 2024 if all goes according to plan.

The series revolves around characters who have made it onto a reality Country Music singing competition called Real American Country, hence the series name.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 17

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 18 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, April 18

Texas Book-aholic, April 19

Lakesidelivingsite, April 20

Artistic Nobody, April 21 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 23

Cover Lover Book Review, April 24

Beauty in the Binding, April 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Blogging With Carol, April 27

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 28 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, April 28

For Him and My Family, April 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a Six Month Subscription to Kindle Unlimited ($60 value) and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2afa4/the-lost-and-found-celebration-tour-giveaway